Actually, now that I think about it, there are more ways these entities have in common. Let me find the words. There are plenty of ways to describe bigotry; so keep RACISTS and add: UGLY, UNCONSCIOUS, and UNCONSCIONABLE.Sigma Alpha Epsilon As I read about the scandal surrounding SAE, it seemed that racism must be inherent in some part of the structure of either Oklahoma University, Sigma Alpha Epsilon National or local, or perhaps in the families that raised these little privileged racists. I know there are some people who, including an African American brother, as in SAE brother, say that there’s no racism there. Hmmmm, let’s see, how often do you use the “N” word in a song or sentence? Even if it’s just a word, nigger is in a class of words we’re not supposed to use, and children that are well-raised will not use. Words like kike, fag, dyke, honky, spic, dago, chink, red skin, towel head, mick... I could go on, but I just can’t. As I look at them on the page, I can hardly believe I’ve actually typed them out. I have a creepy, sick feeling, because I know that some of these words can cut deeply, and that they can even lead kids to commit suicide, which is why I’m involved with the Colin Higgins Foundation that sponsors annual LGBTQ Youth Courage Awards, and am a great fan of the Trevor Project, which sponsors an LGBTQ suicide hot line and a bevy of wonderful, inventive, powerful life-saving programs. See the side-bar on the right for more information on Trevor. That said, I do love that these frat boys thought they were safe slinging trash and bigotry and I also love that they had to get right our of the SAE house because The National organization shut the chapter down, closed up the house, and tossed them out of the fraternity. The two most egregious offenders were expelled from Oklahoma University over their alleged "leadership role." I hope that the cost of having such a record to carry into real life will give them a better idea of what it means to live with the consequences of their actions, because it will help them to build a better character, and perhaps inspire them to do some real good in the world.

So John Boehner invited Bibi Netanyahu to address both houses of Congress without running it by, or informing, the President, and though Congress gave Bibi a bunch of standing ovations, when he went back to Israel he discovered, that though he thought he had put President Obama in his place, his ambitious, graceless assault failed to achieve the big push he was desperately hoping for. He needed his appearance in America to provide a bump. He thought it would put him back in the lead in the election he faced, when in fact, the technique failed, so even though he gave a great speech, if you were only interested in style and had no expectations of anything based in reality or without poorly hidden agendas, when he got home he still had some convincing to do. I must also say that watching the Democrats jumping up every time Bibi put an exclamation point on a sentence, regardless of its value or voracity, cemented my theory that they have little courage or party loyalty, and precious little understanding of politics, let alone the talent or passion for winning. Also, the smug yet sad-faced Speaker of the House, who always looks like he’s nursing a hangover, made me wish America had congressional leaders with vision, a passion for truth, and the good sense not to turn Congress over to a foreign leader’s agenda.

The Puppet Master

On the other hand Binyamin Netanyahu would do anything to win, voraciously making promises he can’t keep, and defaming those who do not kiss his coat tails, like Isaac Herzog and his Zionist Union, which was moving ahead in the polls. So, Bibi decided to fall back on something that usually works for him: making outlandish, frightening statements about how, if he weren't in power, Herzog would enact a two-state solution, not protect them or their borders, and further, that he would work with the Arab parties. He also claimed that all of Herzog’s financial support comes from western liberals, while all the time filling his own deep pockets with the big bucks of Las Vegas gambling magnet, Sheldon Adelson. According to many publications, Adelson and his wife, put between $100 million and $150 million into Republican coffers in 2012 to put a Republican in the White House, which explains a lot. He’s not a man who likes to lose, either in our country or in Israel, where he tries to diminish that possibility through ownership of a bevy of right-wing newspapers, in which he can make up whatever he likes about President Obama or anything that threatens his fiefdom in Israel. But back to Bibi: what Netanyahu fails to notice is that this Iran plan that he’s so freaked out about is not just between the United States and Iran. They are joined by Britain, China, France, Russia, and Germany. So is it flat out racism that makes President Obama the target out of all of these nations? And does Bibi not hear it every time the United Nations refers to Israel’s aggression? As I read, they went through Bibi and his Republican buddies’ shameful passel of miss-statements about what a United States/Iran plan would do to the world; it dawned on me that what they fear is NOT that an agreement with Iran will lead to war, which they and others profit from either financially and/or politically. What Bibi and Congressional Republicans actually fear is that the Obama/Khamenei plan will NOT lead to war, which is profitable for them and for others. Sadly, from my point of view, Netanyahu threatened the right wing of his country by fear-mongering and hard talk, promising that if elected, unlike his opponent Herzog, there would be no Two State Solution. And they went for it; giving him and the Lekud Party the lead, and giving me an anxiety attack. I fear for the safety of Israel.

The following is from the Guardian 3/18/2015:

“Binyamin Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party has scored a dramatic victory in Israel’s election, surging past its main rival, the centre-left Zionist Union, to win most seats in the Knesset. Despite the scale of his win, Netanyahu’s victory is likely to carry heavy political and diplomatic costs for Israel, as he swerved sharply right in his efforts to attract an increasingly hardline vote taken largely from pro-settlement nationalist and religious parties.”

Together they’re Tripple Trouble

When Obama successfully creates a working program with Iran that contains all the pieces of the puzzle needed to make it a great deal, and we have some peaceful times, how can the Republicans keep running their rude racist game with the smarter, classier, more graceful man who occupies the White House? Will they still feel entitled to act like frat boys? Or will their rage at anything progressive in nature lead them to keep humiliating themselves publicly? Then there’s their addiction to power and big bucks. I swear, they become more and more like the meanest-spirited Republican of all time, Dick Cheney. Clearly, it seems that they’ve taken an eye off their own political futures, and it’s likely they’ll wind up selling pieces of themselves to the highest bidders. What might these mean people come up with next to further taint America? I for one will keep rooting for our President to continue working for a beautiful peace. Mitch McConnell, according to Mitch McConnell, signed ‘the letter’ in a hurry so as to get out of DC before a snow storm, so perhaps he did not totally understand the letter. I seriously doubt that, and he didn’t seem to improve his case by defending it on Sunday talk.

What We Can Do:

Pay attention to the noise that comes out of Congress and see if they have America’s interests as their priority, or if they are just ideologues or haters or even TRAITORS or racists.

Take the time you need to gauge your Senators and Representatives to see if they are doing the job they said they would do if you voted for them.

It’s always good to look on their websites www.senate.gov and www.house.gov and to let them know what you want, and how they are doing from your point of view.

It’s also great to get in touch with your Senators and Representatives to say thank you now and then.

Take stock of how up-to-date you are on the news, not to get hooked like I am, but because these are crazy times.

Please, please speak out against any mean-spiritedness and bullying perpetrated by rabid Republicans and ask them to stop it, carry on real conversations, and begin to bring some modicum of respect back to their offices so that they will not further diminish the stature of both houses and the country before they become a punch line for foreign late night television.

Followers

HAITI NEEDS OUR HELP

The NGO's serving, saving and restoring lives in Haiti are deeply in need of our support. After previous disasters in Haiti where corruption was rife, Common Dreams, which contributes “News & Views” for the progressive community, urges those of who would like to contribute that “In lieu of sending money to organizations with a dubious history in Haiti, those wanting to contribute to relief efforts were encouraged to support Haitian-led grassroots organizations like Konbit Sole Leve and Sakala, which have been providing emergency assistance and shelter."

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT NEED YOUR SUPPORT:

The organizations profiled below can fill the needs presented by society while also respecting the needs of the environment.

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Founded in 1954, The Humane Society of the United States celebrates animals and confronts cruelty — to all animals, not just dogs and cats. The HSUS takes on the biggest transformational fights to stop large-scale cruelties, such as animal fighting, puppy mills, factory farming, and the wildlife trade. They will pass anti-cruelty laws in every single nation, end extreme confinement of farm animals in cages, stop cosmetic testing on animals, halt cruelty to wildlife, and transform the landscape for pets in poverty. The HSUS and their affiliates also care for more than 100,000 animals each year, through their rescue teams, sanctuaries and wildlife centers, free veterinary care for low-income pet owners, and many other life-saving programs.www.humanesociety.org

PROJECT ALS

ALS is a brain disease that is closely related to Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS targets brain cells called motor neurons. Motor neurons send messages from the brain to muscles throughout the body. In ALS, as motor neurons die, a person progressively loses the ability to walk, speak, swallow, and breathe. In 1998, Jenifer Estess, a 35-year-old New York theater and film producer, was diagnosed with ALS. Her doctor told her to “max out her credit cards and eat junk food.” At that time clinicians and scientists were working separately on varying aspects of the disease. There was no structured effort underway to solve ALS until Jennifer Estess and her sisters formed this powerful NGO, Project ALS. Though Jennifer succumbed to the disease, the work that she and her sisters began is still in progress. www.projectals.org

OCEANIC SOCIETY

People need healthy oceans to survive and to thrive. The Oceanic Society works to improve ocean health by addressing the root cause of its decline — human behavior. Simply put, the oceans are in trouble because people are putting too much into and taking too much out of them. Through our conservation travel programs, marine research, and investments in conservation, we are inspiring and empowering people at all levels of society to become better stewards of ocean ecosystems. Our mission is to conserve marine wildlife and habitats by deepening the connections between people and nature. You can learn more about how you can help the Oceanic Society through volunteering, donating, following your favorite species, and not throwing plastics in our waterways. After all, we don't want our garbage to destroy the oceans. www.oceanicsociety.org

REFOUNDRY

Refoundry is an innovative not-for-profit that trains people who were formerly incarcerated to refurbish and repurpose discarded materials into unique furnishings. This helps them to create businesses and to support their communities. Prisons in the U.S. are big businesses, so there is less effort to rehabilitate inmates and teach them usable skills, than to warehouse large numbers of them for profit. So, there is a great need to support the 700,000 prisoners set free each year in their quest for gainful employment. Refoundry does just that. www.refoundry.org

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Started in 2006 and backed by over 400,000 veterans, military family members, and their supporters, the mission of VoteVets.org is to use public issue campaigns to give a voice to veterans on matters of national security, veterans' care, and every day issues that affect the lives of those who served and their families. www.votevets.org

FILMS & SHOWS NOT TO MISS!

RACING EXTINCTION

Don't miss Racing Extinction, now viewable on Netflix. The producers of this film, which is helmed by Louie Psihoyos, include the Oceanic Preservation Society and my son, Fisher Stevens. Having seen it, I can promise you it presents a revealing and important view of our planet today — from large multinational companies down to individual scientific teams doing extremely important and timely work. www.racingextinction.com

BOOKS TO READ:

Robert Reich’s work, including his pieces available on line at http://readersupportednews.org, stands among my favorite truth-telling when it comes to politics, government, and the economy of the United States. Reich's points of view are clear, concise, and above all, useful. Amazon.com says of this important writer: “Perhaps no one is better acquainted with the intersection of economics and politics than Robert B. Reich, and now he reveals how power and influence have created a new American oligarchy, a shrinking middle class, and the greatest income inequality and wealth disparity in eighty years.” I call this a must read!